SIG Sauer: Expansion Imminent

Sig’s vice president of marketing Bud Fini told Seacoastonline.com that “Business continues to get better and better for us as we grow this company.”

Four years ago, Sig had 275 employees at its headquarters at 18 Industrial Drive in Exeter, New Hampshire. Now, the company is on the verge of hiring its 500th employee, Fini said.

Naturally, more people require more room.

“The fact is, we need more room,” Fini said. “We have a whole bunch of options.”

Given the dubious nature of the economy and real estate market, it’s no surprise that Sig has an array of potential sites to consider.

One of those includes the former Celestica building at 72 Pease Blvd., a 206,000-square-foot facility located near the entrance of Pease International Tradeport.

According to Dave Mullen, the executive director of the Pease Development Authority, that building sits on a 10-acre lot and could be expanded to more than 300,000 square feet.

But so far, Sig is still in the exploratory phase of planning.

“No decisions have been made, and there are more options to explore, including staying right here in our own facility,” said Fini. “It comes down to money and timing.”

Fini added that he expects a decision to be made in the next 60 days.

Over the past several years, despite economic stagnation across the country, business has been especially good for firearms and ammunition manufacturers.

Now, there are several theories to explain this, the prevailing theory being the Obama gun boom – but whatever the reason, I think we can all agree that this is, indeed, a good sign.

And things look even better if we combine the expanding firearm industry with the fact that now 49 of 50 states have some form of concealed carry and that in 2008 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm for self-defense (within in the home).